19th Urban Mobility India conference opens in Bhubaneswar, Mahametro stall draws crowds

The 19th Urban Mobility India (UMI) conference began today in Bhubaneswar, the capital of Odisha. Union Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Tokhan Sahu inaugurated it. The main theme of the conference is "urban access and liveable cities in the digital age".

Odisha's Minister for Housing, Urban Development and Public Policy, Dr Krushna Chandra Mohapatra, was present at the inaugural ceremony. Satyendra Singh, Secretary in the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Odisha Chief Secretary Anu Garg and Usha Padhee, Principal Secretary in the Housing and Urban Development Department, were also present.

During the conference, Sahu and Dr Mohapatra visited the Mahametro stall and inaugurated it. Mahametro Managing Director Shravan Hardikar welcomed them and briefed them in detail on the initiatives displayed at the stall.

At the exhibition, Mahametro showcased new systems that use digital technology to make travel in cities easier. Six items were included. The first was a digital project management dashboard, which tracks work in real time so that projects are completed faster and transparently. The second was O&M digital transformation, the effective use of modern digital systems in the metro's daily operations and maintenance.

The third was Digital Eye and Mastermind, which brings advanced technologies together for security and close monitoring. The fourth was seamless travel through a "One App", which gives passengers a single, simple digital experience from booking a ticket to the end of the journey. The fifth was smart and connected mobility, which links the journey from home to the station and from the station to the destination. The sixth was social media engagement, an effective means of talking directly to passengers and getting information to them quickly.

The e-scooter was a special attraction at the stall. Sahu and Dr Mohapatra rode it themselves and praised this eco-friendly, sustainable and digital initiative of Mahametro. The service has begun in Pune as a pilot project for first- and last-mile connectivity, and is getting a very good response from citizens.

In his inaugural address, Sahu spoke of the rapid expansion of the metro network in the country. "Metro services are running successfully in 26 cities of India, and more than 1.25 crore people are travelling by metro every day," he said. He also said that the combination of a digital transport system and modern technologies has made travel in cities easier and faster, bringing a significant improvement in people's quality of life.

Union Secretary Satyendra Singh shared details of an important survey on transport. A comprehensive survey of transport arrangements in urban and rural areas across the country was conducted between July 2025 and January 2026. According to its findings, 52 per cent of all commuters in the country use two-wheelers.

He stressed that building a safer, more convenient, modern and robust public transport system for this large section of two-wheeler users is an important need of the times.